Diary, Aug/Sep 1664 | Page 9

and then out by coach, setting my wife
and mayde down, going to Stevens the silversmith to change some old
silver lace and to go buy new silke lace for a petticoat; I to White Hall
and did much business at a Tangier Committee; where, among other
things, speaking about propriety of the houses there, and how we ought
to let the Portugeses I have right done them, as many of them as
continue, or did sell the houses while they were in possession, and
something further in their favour, the Duke in an anger I never
observed in him before, did cry, says he, "All the world rides us, and I
think we shall never ride anybody." Thence home, and, though late, yet
Pedro being there, he sang a song and parted. I did give him 5s., but
find it burdensome and so will break up the meeting. At night is
brought home our poor Fancy, which to my great grief continues lame
still, so that I wish she had not been brought ever home again, for it
troubles me to see her.

13th. Up, and before I went to the office comes my Taylor with a coate
I have made to wear within doors, purposely to come no lower than my

knees, for by my wearing a gowne within doors comes all my
tenderness about my legs. There comes also Mr. Reeve, with a
microscope and scotoscope.
[An optical instrument used to enable objects to be seen in the dark.
The name is derived from the Greek.]
For the first I did give him L5 10s., a great price, but a most curious
bauble it is, and he says, as good, nay, the best he knows in England,
and he makes the best in the world. The other he gives me, and is of
value; and a curious curiosity it is to look objects in a darke room with.
Mightly pleased with this I to the office, where all the morning. There
offered by Sir W. Pen his coach to go to Epsum and carry my wife, I
stept out and bade my wife make her ready, but being not very well and
other things advising me to the contrary, I did forbear going, and so Mr.
Creed dining with me I got him to give my wife and me a play this
afternoon, lending him money to do it, which is a fallacy that I have
found now once, to avoyde my vowe with, but never to be more
practised I swear, and to the new play, at the Duke's house, of "Henry
the Fifth;" a most noble play, writ by my Lord Orrery; wherein
Betterton, Harris, and Ianthe's parts are most incomparably wrote and
done, and the whole play the most full of height and raptures of wit and
sense, that ever I heard; having but one incongruity, or what did, not
please me in it, that is, that King Harry promises to plead for Tudor to
their Mistresse, Princesse Katherine of France, more than when it
comes to it he seems to do; and Tudor refused by her with some kind of
indignity, not with a difficulty and honour that it ought to have been
done in to him. Thence home and to my office, wrote by the post, and
then to read a little in Dr. Power's book of discovery by the Microscope
to enable me a little how to use and what to expect from my glasse. So
to supper and to bed.

14th (Lord's day). After long lying discoursing with my wife, I up, and
comes Mr. Holliard to see me, who concurs with me that my pain is
nothing but cold in my legs breeding wind, and got only by my using to
wear a gowne, and that I am not at all troubled with any ulcer, but my
thickness of water comes from my overheat in my back. He gone,
comes Mr. Herbert, Mr. Honiwood's man, and dined with me, a very
honest, plain, well-meaning man, I think him to be; and by his

discourse and manner of life, the true embleme of an old ordinary
serving-man. After dinner up to my chamber and made an end of Dr.
Power's booke of the Microscope, very fine and to my content, and then
my wife and I with great pleasure, but with great difficulty before we
could come to find the manner of seeing any thing by my microscope.
At last did with good content, though not so much as I expect when I
come to understand it better. By and by comes W. Joyce, in his silke
suit, and cloake lined with velvett: staid talking with me, and I very
merry at it. He supped with me; but a cunning,